Portion Control is Good for Your Feet

Are you regretting the amount of food you ate on Thanksgiving Day? Filling our plates with turkey and stuffing ourselves with all the great sides that we save for this special occasion is a real American tradition. In fact, we’ve heard it said that you’re not doing Thanksgiving right in Alabama if you’re hungry before Sunday.

But what’s lacking on Thanksgiving Day is exactly what we should practice every other day of the year: portion control. If you treat every day like Thanksgiving Day and don’t really think about how much you’re eating – unless you’re also running a marathon on those days – you will gain weight.

Overweight is the enemy of your feet. Bearing the stress of extra pounds wrecks your arches and gives you flat feet. It irritates the connective tissues and weakens the natural fat pads on the bottom, leading to plantar fasciitis. Your ankles, knees, and hips also suffer from carrying around too much weight. And you’re at much higher risk for getting Type 2 diabetes, which can spell disaster for your feet.

What’s a portion?

Portion control is something that you can practice every day. It’s a great way to mindfully keep off the extra pounds that can creep up on us. Here are some tips for keeping your portion sizes in check:

Use actual measuring cups to portion out your servings. If the box of cereal says that one serving is ½ a cup, measure it out.

Master the art of eyeballing portions. For example, 1 portion of meat = a deck of cards; 1 ounce of cheese = about the size of your thumb.

Read the nutrition facts label to see if the container you’re holding is one serving. That coffee drink you just bought may hold 2 servings. That small bag of chips probably contains 3 one-ounce servings. If you’re not eating 1/3 of the bag, you’re not controlling your portions.

For more advice about keeping yourself at a healthy weight, consult your primary care physician, but also feel free to talk to Dr. Chandra L. Day-Houts and Dr. Heidi M. Christie at Montgomery Foot Care Specialists. Our two expert podiatrists want to see you succeed in your efforts to stay healthy, so contact us online or call us at (334) 396-3668. And try not to go crazy at the remaining holiday parties of 2016. Your feet will thank you!